10 Healthy Ways To Manage Your Type 1 Diabetes

Last month, I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. To put it mildly, I was somewhat distressed. Thoughts kept swirling in my head. What am I going to have to give up? How hard is this going to be to manage? Can I still live a happy life? In the following weeks, I've realized that I can still live a productive, happy, healthy life. While it isn't always this simple, doing these ten things will help you on your way to that goal.

1. Count your carbs

This is fundamental to being a diabetic. YOU HAVE TO COUNT YOUR CARBS!! Carbs are the main thing that will raise your blood sugar, so keeping track of them is imperative to staying alive. Get into the habit of looking at nutrition labels. They could keep you out of the hospital.

3. Find ways to destress

Stress and mental health can actually adversely affect your blood sugar, so being able to relax yourself is a key part of managing your diabetes. Find ways to relax and destress, not only for your own mental health, but also your physical health.

5. Use The Latest Technology

New medications and technologies are coming out all the time. From more accurate readers to attachable sensors to new types of insulin, treatment and management of diabetes is getting easier all the time, so keep up with the latest advancements so that you can figure out if they might work for you.

6. Stay in contact with your doctors

Your endocrinologist, your dietician, or even your psychologist. Stay in touch with these people. Give them regular updates on your condition, and don't hesitate to ask questions if you have any difficulties or concerns about your blood sugar. They are there to help you, so take advantage.

7. Pay attention to your mental health

I had depression before I even had diabetes, so managing my mental health has always been a concern of mine. If you have a mental illness such as anxiety, depression, BPD, or whatever, go and see a therapist and explore the options that you can take to help yourself. As I said earlier, your mental health is a big factor in managing your diabetes, so take whatever steps you need to take to feel better and manage your mental illness.

8. Never stop educating yourself

Just like technology, scientific journals and findings are being updated all the time. Stay up to date on the new information that comes out, as that information may help you better manage your diabetes.

9. Be patient

It may take weeks, or even months to figure out just how to manage your blood sugar. Even with all the effort and technology in the world, sometimes it will still be wonky, but don't get discouraged. You can figure out how to manage this, and it is worth your time and effort to do so.

10. Talk to people

I've been so fortunate to have such supportive friends and family to help me through this major change in my life. It's so easy to feel like you're alone in your struggle, but you're not. There are peer connection networks and organizations where you can talk to other diabetics about how you're feeling.

And remember, your friends and family are always there to support you, want to help you and love you. If you feel alone, you are not alone, and you can get through this. You will get through this.

50 Things To Be Happy About

It is always easier to pick out the negatives in life. We tend to dwell on them and drown out the happy moments. I asked a friend to tell me something that made them happy. They sarcastically laughed at my question then thought about it for a minute. Nothing. But they could easily come up with things that made them unhappy. Then I read them my list, and they were smiling and laughing in agreement the whole time. There are so many more things to be happy and laugh about than we realize. After all- it's the little things in life that can mean the most! Here are 50 things that make me happy. What are your 50?

The first warm day of the year

Laughing so hard your abs ache

Freshly washed sheets

Looking through old pictures

The smell of a coffee shop

Eating cookie dough

Reading a bible verse that perfectly fits your current situation

Seeing someone open a gift you got them

Eating birthday cake

A shower after a long day

Marking something off your to-do list

Drinking ice cold water on a really hot day

Dressing up for no reason

Breakfast food

Being able to lay in bed in the morning

Finding something you love at the store

And it’s on sale

Cute elderly couples

When a stranger compliments you

Getting butterflies in your stomach

Taking a nap

Cooking something delicious

Being lost for words

Receiving a birthday card in the mail

And there's money in it

Finally cleaning your room

Realizing how fortunate you are

Waking up from a nightmare and realizing it wasn't real

Fresh fruit

Walking barefoot in the grass

Singing along to a song in the car

Sunrises

Sunsets

Freshly baked cookies with a glass of milk

Summertime cookouts

Feeling pretty

Looking forward to something

Lemonade

Comfortable silences

Waking up in the middle of the night and realizing you have more time to sleep

It's Been Three And A Half Years Since My Last Seizure, But I Am Still Terrified To Live Normally

That's probably a weird way to start an article, but a lot of the time that is what people see first. They see me as the one who has seizures. For a while, it was like it was my name. Sure, I had other identities, too. This one, however, stood out the most. I couldn't go a day without hearing the words- "Let's not have a seizure, ok." Or "Are you OK?" It truly sucked.

I didn't want to be the girl who was known for her seizures, but I was. I wanted people to see me first. Well, it has been almost three and a half years since my last seizure, and to put it simply- I'm terrified. I had my second seizure three years after my surgery. That's not necessarily what I'm terrified of, though.

I'm terrified of getting behind a wheel only to end up with a car turned over in the middle of the road. I'm terrified of hurting someone else because I got behind the wheel. I'm terrified of waking up in a hospital bed to be asked: "Do you know where you are?" Yes, I do. I'm very familiar with hospitals.

I'm terrified of being at concerts with strobe lights and blaring music. To the average person, that might sound dumb, but for me, it's a reality. I have to be so careful when it comes to flashing or bright lights. It can set a seizure off.

I'm terrified of insane time changes. For instance, I went into a 12-hour time difference, and while that's easy to deal with when it comes to switching your dosages, it's still scary.

I'm terrified of waking up one day to find out I had a seizure while I was sleeping, and now I'm completely confused by everything. That might not make sense, but you can't necessarily tell if you're having a seizure if you're sleeping. That is the scary part. Think about it. It is scary enough having a seizure while you are conscious, now imagine having one you don't even know happened. Scary, right?

Seizures are definitely terrifying, and the thought of having one at any time is even scarier. It's even scarier risking the life of someone else solely because you want to do something you are not supposed to. I want to drive, but due to my seizures - I shouldn't. I think about driving frequently, but it isn't worth the life of someone else.

I'm the girl who has seizures, and I'm terrified to do things because of it. I am constantly on edge about things even if I don't show it. I'm constantly hoping I don't have a seizure if I do this or that. I'm always on edge about previous events with my seizures. I think about them a lot. However, I'm thankful. Its been three and a half years since my last one. That's a big milestone.